Remembering Mentors in Lent

Remembering Mentors this Lent

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us.”–Hebrews 12:1.

Today, I honor a Mentor who died in May 2020 from coronavirus, an early victim of the virus. I still remember how moved we were to hear of the death of the Rev. William Barnwell, a priest in New Orleans. I treasure every minute I spent with him at the National Cathedral at the College of Preachers and through the adult education program, Disciples of Christ in Community, DOCC. He taught me, especially about literature and the Bible, preaching and standing up fiercely for those society has forgotten or never cared for.

 The New Orleans Times-Picayune calls William “the crusading minister of New Orleans.” I knew him most as the soft-spoken man with a rich New Orleans accent. Through his courses about the Bible and accompanying rich stories from modern literature, he led us to a greater understanding of the Bible through the lens of contemporary writers.

 I treasure the books he wrote that Henry Hudson gave me when Henry left New Orleans. Lead Me On, Let Me Stand, A Clergyman’s Story in White and Black. William also wrote Called to Heal and Brokenhearted, Stories from Kairos Prison Ministry International. Just the titles of these two books hint at his passionate ministry. It was indeed a God thing that a friend, Michael Hackett, invited William to dinner with us in January 2020 in New Orleans after a conference at nearby Solomon Conference Center. I will continually cherish the opportunity to have that last meal with him.

William served in the Coast Guard, but was most known as a community organizer against racism and injustice.

Lent can be a time to remember the lives of those who died from this virus, and thank them for what they brought to our lives. I will especially say prayers for William Barnwell, who almost died so many times as he fought to save and change the lives of others with his words from the pulpit, with his words through the Bible and contemporary literature, and with his words on our southern streets and in our southern prisons.

Give thanks for those who have mentored you. Continue their life by sharing with others what you learned from them. Call or write and thank them during this Lenten season.
Joanna https://www.joannaseibert.com/

Voice of Nature

Nature’s Voice

“Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked...

They are like trees planted by streams of water; which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither.”—Psalm 1: 1, 3.

I remember watching the rain come across the lake at Whitefish. As it reaches our shore on a gentle breeze, the small leaves of the willows and aspen trees move back and forth, producing a unique swishing sound. The vibrations caused by the wind and the rain on the fluttering leaves sound like a message from the trees, the wind, and the rain.

 Is it a cry for help? Are these the sound of Nature’s tears? I don’t believe it is a thank you for how we have cared for our natural world.  

There is also a smell that comes with the sound of rain. It has been called earthy. It is thought to be the smell that comes as the rain moves the earth. Is it the fragrant perfume of the earth calling and enticing us to come and get to know it better and care for it?

Almost every person I talk with affirms their feeling of God’s presence when they are outside in the natural world. The trees, the sun, the moon, the rain, the flowers, the animals, the mountains, the sea, and the earth are healers. They are mood changers. It is difficult not to be grateful looking across a peaceful lake in the cool mountain air and watching a mother duck care for and gather her eighteen ducklings as the rain stops. But, she also makes a distinctive sound, maybe telling her ducklings that there is still danger when we are around. 

We are called to care for our churches and places of worship where we experience God. We are called to care for our friends, who teach us about the love of God. We are likewise called to care for the natural world, which always calls us back to the Creator God.

Joanna https://www.joannaseibert.com/

benedictine Life

Benedictine Life

“Listen my child with the ear of your heart.”—Prologue of Rule of Benedict

 I keep returning to the Rule of Benedict. “Listen with the ear of your heart” is in the first line of the prologue to the Rule of Benedict, a pattern of living in community written by St. Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century during the Dark Ages and is still used by Benedictines fifteen centuries later.

The rule is a balanced model of life, a radical alternative to an out-of-control culture. It was written for monastic life, but it has been translated to a way of life for any seeking a pattern of spiritual discipline for living a rule of life in the world. The day is organized around regular periods of private and communal prayer, sleep, work, recreation, hospitality, and study.

Joan Chitister’s book, The Rule of Benedict, a Spirituality for the 21st Century, is used by the Community of Hope International, a program equipping and supporting lay pastoral caregivers to be ministers to all conditions of people needing pastoral care. The Community of Hope International emphasizes developing skills and spiritual practices, immersing ministers in Benedictine spirituality in community. Chitister’s book can be used privately or in group discussions of the rule. She writes a thoughtful meditation and interpretation after each selected part of the rule, which can be read in daily segments.

 A busy Memphis lawyer, John McQuiston, has written another concise modern interpretation of the Rule of Benedict called Always We Begin Again. It is pocket-sized and easily carried with you during the day.

A third book is Spirituality for Everyday Living, an Adaptation of the Rule of St. Benedict by Brian Taylor. This is another offering to help those not living in a monastery experience Benedict’s rule of obedience and stability in relationships with others. This is living in the balanced tension of the paradox of turning our lives over to a higher power but trying to stay in relationship with others, not staying stagnant, but being able to change and grow.

Esther de Waal names it in the title of her book of reflections or meditations on Benedict’s Rule, Living with Contradiction. Esther de Waal also gives us in To Pause at the Threshold numerous Benedictine and Celtic reflections and prayers to practice when we cross the threshold of a door going from one room to another. She invites us to say a short prayer, trying to leave behind the “baggage” in our heads and being open to a new experience. This can be helpful when visiting the sick or homebound as we enter their hospital room or front door.  

 There are so many other books on Benedictine spirituality, but these five have made a difference in my life, and I give the ones I give to people seeking a more patterned or spiritual rule of life. Again, I would love to hear from you about the books on Benedictine spirituality that have made a difference in your life.

Joanna       https://www.joannaseibert.com/